Mike Hancock report to be released in full, court orders

The full report by Nigel Pascoe QC into Mr Hancock's alleged behaviour will be
available to 'Annie' when she takes legal action against the MP

Mike Hancock ahs refused to comment on the legal rulingPhoto: PA

By Agencies

4:51PM GMT 24 Jan 2014

The alleged sexual assault victim of MP Mike Hancock has won a bid to force a Lib-Dem-led council to make available a full version of a QC's report about her accusations at a forthcoming civil court action.

Portsmouth City Council, where Hancock is a councillor, opposed the application for full disclosure of the report – a redacted version of which has already been leaked to the public.

But Master Leslie, a High Court official, ruled disclosure was necessary so that the woman could feel she had ''a fair hearing and a fair crack of the whip''.

The report was written by Nigel Pascoe QC, who was asked by the city council to investigate the allegations for code of conduct proceedings.

The woman, a female constituent and a young mother, says Mr Hancock made "unwelcome sexual approaches".

The leaked, redacted version of the report describes the account she gave as "credible".

Mr Hancock denies the allegations. Police investigated but said no further action should be taken.

Mr Hancock, 67, from Fareham, Hampshire, was suspended from the Liberal Democrats on Wednesday and currently sits as an independent MP.

The latest legal moves come in a week when the party has also been rocked by complaints against Lord Rennard, the party's former chief executive.

Mr Pascoe says in the leaked report, which refers to the woman as Annie – not her real name: "Making full allowances for the disclosed mental history of (Annie), I have no doubt that she has provided before me compelling prima facie evidence of serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour towards her by Mr Hancock."

Ordering the report to be disclosed in full, Master Leslie said: "If the claimant loses (her civil action), will she feel she has had a fair hearing and a fair crack of the whip?

"'No' is the answer if she has not had fair and full disclosure of this document."

Ms Wistrich said: "She will be very pleased that the judge has seen this is relevant. She has had to overcome a lot of barriers."

Ms Wistrich said the civil action was a claim for damages for psychiatric damage "arising out of her allegations of harassment and sexual assault" against Mr Hancock.

If her client won, she could expect to receive compensation ranging between £5,000 and £30,000 "depending on the psychiatric damage and losses, including loss of earnings, she has suffered – it is an open-ended question".

Ms Wistrich added: "From her point of view, she wants recognition that she has been wronged and that these events did take place.

"Her civil claim was only commenced because she was not able to get justice through other processes.

"Money has never been her aim or objective – although she has suffered, according to her own psychiatric evidence, as a consequence of what was done to her and is entitled to seek damages."

Criticising what she described as the "appalling" slowness of the Liberal Democrats taking action against Mr Hancock, she said the decision to suspend him from the party "has come three years later than it should have happened".